1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to prophylactic and post-acute treatments of concussions (mild TBI).
2. Related Art
There are many health issues related to traumatic brain injuries. For example, once an athlete sustains a concussion (one type of traumatic brain injury (TBI)) the athlete becomes four to six times more likely to suffer a second head injury. Also, half of deaths associated with falls in the elderly are caused by a head injury. In addition, a veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes and is 25 times more likely to develop Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) following TBI. Furthermore, cerebral plaques in head-injury patients are similar to cerebral plaques in Alzheimer's disease patients. One single TBI doubles the risk of Alzheimer's disease in males, and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is the most common type of TBI that leads to long-term neurodegenerative disorders. The estimated annual cost of health care for traumatic brain injuries is $20 billion.
There are approximately 1.3 million cases of concussion reported each year in the United States. It is estimated that an additional 2 million cases of concussion are unreported. There are about 600,000 sports-related concussions per year. There have also been about 360,000 overseas military personnel who have suffered concussions, often due to the effects of detonation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
It is estimated that over 1.5 million people suffer traumatic brain injuries each year. Of these people who suffer traumatic brain injuries, it is estimated that over 50,000 die and that another 80,000 become impaired or disabled for life.